Sewing machine



June 7, 1938. G. A. FLECKENSTE IN ET AL 2,120,127

SEWING MACHINE Filed June 19, 1955 5Sheets-Sh9et 1 June 7, 1938'. e. A. FLECKENSTIIIIN r AL 2,120,127

SEWING MACHINE Filed June 19, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 avwvwbo v rye A.Flcckenstein Maw L. Waterman (.760 and J 1933- e. A. FLECKENSTEIN El AL 2,120,127

SEWING MACHINE Filed June 19, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 George A.l7lecken stein Max L. nizzerm' an oggw- W Jlme: 1938- G. A. FLECKENSTEIN ET AL 2,120,127

SEWING' MACHINE 4 Filed June 19,, 1935- 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Gemye A.

lleckenszcin L. Miernm June 7, 1938. e. A. FLECKENSTEIN r AL 4 2,

' smwme MACHINE 4 Filed June 19. 1935 5 SheetsAShe'et 5 George A.I7cl'eia8fein and Mmizzb. nhterman Patented June 7, 1938 PATENT OFFICE SEWING MACHINE George A. Fleckenstein, Stratford, and Max L.

Waterman, Fairfield, Conn, assignors to The Singer Manufacturing Company, N. J., a corporationpf New Jersey Elizabeth.

Application June 19, 1935, Serial No. 27,300

16 Claims. (01112-241) I This invention relates to sewing machines and An object of the invention is'the provision of an improved form of balanced take-up mechanism for the needle-thread which will operate at high speeds with a minimum of vibration.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention comprises the device's, combinations, and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth and illustratedin the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the several features of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section,

of our improved sewing machine.

Figure 2 is a top plan view with the cloth-plate and bracket-arm removed to expose the mechanism within ,the bed.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the machine, with the face-plate removed. 1

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a rear elevation of the head of the machine showing the Dresser-foot lifting and tension-releasing mechanism.

end' elevation of the head of plate. g v

Figure '11 is'an enlarged sectional view taken along the line I I-'H of Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary view of one end of the feed-bar sectioned along the line I2--|2 of Figure 2.

In the embodimentof the invention selected for illustration l is the inverted trough-shaped bed of the machine to which is secured by the screws 2' the standard 2 carrying an overhanging bracket-arm 3 which terminates in' a hollowhead 4. Journaled in the spaced bearings 5. and

6 in. the overhanging arm 3 is a needle-bar driving-shaft I having the usual balance-wheel 8 fixed thereto and journaled in the bearings I3 and M in the bed is a .rotary hook-shaft 3 having a rotary hook I5 fixed to one end thereof 55- and fixed to the other end is a pulley I!) which is operatively connectedto the pulley H by the clip-belt I2, the ratio being as 1 is to 2, and, therefore, the hook-shaft 9 makes two complete rotations for each rotation of the needle-bar shaft 1.' Journaled in the bearings l6 and IT in the bed I is a feed-shaft 18 having a pulley l9 fixed to one of its ends and driven by means of the clip-belt 20 from the pulley 2| carried by the shaft 1 at the ratio of 1 to 1.

Secured to the end of the feed-shaft 18 extending through the bearing I6 is a feed-lift eccentric 22 and fixed to.the shaft l8 on the opposite side of the bearing is an adjustable eccentric 23. The eccentric 23' is the same as that shown in the co-pending patent application of J. H. Stearns, Serial No. 735,612, filed July 17, 1934, and which is provided with a notch 24 for the purpose of adjusting the throw of the eccentric. To effect adjustment of the eccentric, there is provided a finger-lever 25 pivoted intermediate its end to the bed I by means of the pivot-pin 26. One end a boss 21 formed with an open ended guideway and is provided with a locking nose 28 which is adapted to enter the slot 24 in the eccentric. The other end extends upwardly through an opening in the bed and the lever is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 1 by means of a plunger 29 urged upwardly by a spring 30 located in a boss 3| formed on the bed of the machine. To adjust the stitch-length the operator depresses the finger-lever 25 and rotates the shaft 18 by turning the balance-wheel 8 until the desired stitch-length is obtained.

The front side of the bed I, which is nearest the operator, is formed with upstanding bearings 32 and 32' in which is journaled' a short shaft 33 having a feed-rocker 34 fixed thereto and is rocked back-and-forth by a pitman 38 having one of its ends secured to the eccentric 23 and its other end secured to a short shaft. 35 carried by the feed-rocker. A feed-bar 36, carrying a feeddog 39, bridges the space between the feed-rocker 34 and the feed-shaft l8 and has one of its ends journaled on the short shaft 35 carried by the feed-rocker and its other end overlying a block 31 which cooperates with the feed-lift eccentric 22. The feed-bar 36 is formed with a depending portion 40, and secured thereto by the screws 4| is a plate 42 which underlies the eccentric '22. From the foregoing, it will be observed that when the feed-shaft l8 rotates, the feed-bar 36 is given a feed-and-return movement by theeccentric 23, pitman 38 and feed-rocker 34, and a rising and falling movement by the eccentric 22.

of the lever is held against lateral movement by Located at one side of the needle-bar shaft I and journaled in bearings 45 and 45 carried by the wall in the overhanging bracket-arm 3 is a rock-shaft 46 formed with a boss 46 on the end extending into the hollow head'l. Secured to the boss 46' by the screw 41 is a take-up lever 41 made of light material, such as, aluminum. To

the end extending into the bracket-arm there is secured an arm 48 which is operatively connected by means of the pitman 49 to the crank 50 formed on the needle-bar actuating shaft I. Disposed onthe other side of the needle-bar shaft 1 and substantially diametrically opposite the shaft 46 is a second shaft 52 journaled in the bearings 53 and 53 The shaft 52 is formed with a boss 52 and on the end of -the shaft extending into the hollow head 4 there is secured by the screw 54' a take-up lever 54. To the other end of the shaft which extends. into the overhanging bracket-arm 3 there is fixed a lever 55 whichis operatively connected by a pitman 56 to the crank 51 formed on the needle-bar shalt I.

From the above it will be observed that the take-up levers are arranged on opposite sides of their actuating shaft and substantially 180 apart and are rigidly connected to short shafts which extend through the partition or wall separating the hollow head from the overhanging bracketarm and are actuated by mechanism located within the bracket-arm, the mechanism for each take-up lever being the same and arranged complemental to each other. This constructionaffords a take-up. mechanism which is balanced both statically and dynamically as each action on one side of the needle-bar shaft is counteracted by an equal and opposite reaction on the other side of the shaft. It will also be observed that the ends of the take-up levers overlap. This construction permits the pivotal axes of the levers to be placed near the needle-bar shaft thereby making a more compact arrangement of the' take-up levers from throwing a loop of needle-- thread in front of the needle. The thread is preferably led from the guide 66 to the tension device 63, the guide 64, the eye in the offset end of the take-up lever 41, the thread-eye in the end of the'take-up lever 54, the guide 65 and' thence to the needle.

As shown, the shaft 1 has secured to its-end a counterbalancin'g disk 66 having a crank attached thereto by a screw 61 and disposed with its axis offset from the axis of the shaft 1. A needle-bar 10 carrying a needle II extends through a suitable bearing I2 in the bottom of the head 4 and is operated by the usual pitman 13 having one of its ends pivoted to the crankpin 69 and the other end pivotally secured to the needle-bar I0. A presser-bar I4 carrying a .presser-foot I5 which cooperates with the feeddog 39 extends through a suitable bearing 16 in the head and is spring urged downwardly by, the flat-leaf spring 11 which acts against the rod 18 carried by the presser-bar I4.

Separate means are provided for raising the presser-foot and simultaneously releasing the .municating with the rock-shaft 46.

tension, and comprise a finger lever I9 and a treadle controlled lever 60 pivoted to the overhanging bracket-arm at 8i. provided with a forwardly extending .arm 82 which overlies the eccentric portion of the finger lever 79 and when the finger lever is swung about its pivot 83 the cam portion engages the arm 82 and swings the lever about its pivot. The lever 80 is connected to the presser-bar by means of the arm 84 which extends forwardly into the hollow head and the link 85 Whi0h has one of its ends pivoted to the arm 84 and its other end slotted to embracea stud 86 carried by the block 87 which is clamped to the presser-bar I4 by the screws 88.' To provide mechanism for concomitantly releasing the tension on the needle-thread when the presser-foot is raised, the head 4 is The lever 80 is formed with a boss 89 which is apertured to receive a rock-shaft 90. Fixed to the end of the shaft outside of the hollbw head is a camlever 9| (Fig. 6) and fixed to the end of-the shaft within the hollow head is a cam 92 which isadaptr ed to engage the usual releasing pin 93 carried by the tension device 63. When the presser-foot is raised, either by the finger lever or foot-treadle, the cam lever 9I is shifted, thereby rocking the shaft 90 in a clockwise direction about its axis and causing. the cam 92 within the hollow head to engage the releasing pin 93 and separate thetension-disks.

Fixed to the ,bed I-is a throat-plate 94' formed with the usual feed-dog slots 95'and needle aperture 96. To overcome looping" of the needlethread, characterized by the projection from one face of the stitched work of loose loops of needlethread, which sometime occurs when a lock-stitch machine is operated at high-speed, there is rigidly attached to the under side of the throatplate a cup-shaped button 91, (Fig. .11) having an upstanding wall 91' and a base 98 which'is formed with an aperture 99 in vertical alinement with the needle-aperture 96 and is spaced therefrom to provide a clearance recess between and adjacent the verticallyspaced apertures. I

'To lubricate the mechanism within the hollow head 4, the latter is formed with a depression I00 in which excess lubricant collects. Wicks IOI have one of their ends depending in the lubricant reservoir I00 and their other ends secured to the pad I02 which is carried by the plate I03 fixed to the head of the machine and the-pad I02 is positioned to be engaged by the upper end of the needle-bar link I3 for-.the'purpose of lubricating the crank-pin 69. The wick I04 has one of its ends depending in the reservoir and its other endthreaded into an aperture I06 running longitudinally of the bushings 45 and 45 and com- The wick I05, likewise conducts lubricant upwardly by capillary attraction to the aperture I08 in the bushings 53 and 53*.

The bracket-arm 3 is formed with an interiorly arranged upstanding flange H0 and is inclined .downwardly towards the head to provide an oilreservoir III into which the ends of the lever 49 and pitman 49 dip thereby lubricating the take- 'up actuating mechanism which is located in the bracket-arm by the splash system".

To lubricate the bearings and pivotal connections located below the cloth-plate Ill, the base of the machine is inclined so as to cause excess oil to collect in a'sump 4 located in rear of the bed and adjacent the pulley end of the feedshaft I8. A wick I I5 conducts lubricant from the sump I, to the bearing 32 and a second wick H6 conducts lubricant to the bearing 32'. In both instances the wicking is threaded into a longitudinally arranged aperture in the bushings and engages the rock-shaft 33 A wick I I8 is threaded through the tube H9 and has one of its ends depending in the sump H4 and its other end raised above the bed and supported by meansofthe tube H9 (see Fig. 9). from the wick IIB'to the pivotal connection for the feed-bar the shaft 35 is formed with a longitudinally arranged groove in which is fitted a wick I I1. When the feed-rocker 34 rocks back and forth the end of the wick II'I intermittently engages and wipes-oil from the endof the wick H8 and conducts it to the bearing for the feedrocker.

Th'e wicks I20 and I2i conduct lubricant from the sump H4 to the bearings I6 and I3, respectively, and. are threaded into the hearings in the same manner as the wick I I5 is threaded into the bearing 32. v

The wick I22 conducts lubricant to the depression I23 formed in the feed bar 36. When the feed-bar 3B executes its four-motion movement the fibrous material in the depression wipes the oil from the wick I22 and the oil is led to the bearing block 31 and eccentric 22 through the aperture-I24 and the oil conduits I25.

To lubricate the eccentric '23 a wick I2! is provided which conducts'the oil to the fibrous material I 28 carried by the pitman 38 an aperture being provided for conducting the oil from the fibrous pad I28 to the eccentric.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, manner of operation and several advantages of our improved machine will be clearly and fully understood. It is apparent that such a machine has a wide variety of uses, and it will be understood that the form, construction and arrangement of the several elements employed may be varied. Therefore, the privilege is reserved of resorting to all such legitimate changes therein as may be fairly embodied with-' in the spiritand scope of the appended claims.

Having thus set forth the nature :of the invention, what we claim herein is;-

1. A take-up mechanism for sewing machines comprising a rotatable shaft, cranks carried by said shaft, a pair of rock-shafts arranged on opposite sides of and parallel to said rotatable shaft, take-up levers fixed to said rock-shafts, and mechanism for operatively connecting said cranks with said rock-shafts.

2. A sewing machine-having in combination, a hollow overhanging bracket-arm terminating in a hollow' head, a wall between said hollow head and said bracket-arm, arotary needle-bar shaft journaled in said wall, arockshaft journaled in andv extending through said wa-ll, one end of said rock-shaft terminating. within the hollow head and the other end within the bracket-arm, mechanism disposed within the bracket arm and operatively connecting said needle-bar shaft with one end of the rock-shaft for operating the latter, and a take-up lever carried by the other end of the rock-shaft.

3. A sewing machine having in combination,

I an overhanging bracket-arm-terminating in. a

hollow head and a partition between said hollow head and said bracket-arm, a needle-bar shaft journaled in said partition, a plurality of rockshafts journaled in said partition parallel to and on opposite sides of said needle-bar shaft, takeup levers carried by said rock-shafts, and means To conduct.lubricant located within the bracket-arm and actuated by said needle-bar shaft forimparting oscillatory movements to said rock-shafts.

4. A sewing machine having in combination, a hollow overhanging bracket-arm terminating in a 'hollow head, a partition separating said bracket-arm from said hollow head, a needlebar shaft journaled in said partition, a pair of rock-shafts journaled in said partition and arranged on either side of said needle-bar shaft and substantially diametrically opposite each other, take-up levers carried by said rock-shafts,

and eccentric means carried by said needle-bar shaft and operatively connected with said rockshafts for imparting oscillatory movements to the latter.

5. The combination with a sewing machine having a hollow bracket-arm terminating in a hollow head, a needle-bar shaft journaled in said bracket-arm, a needle-bar actuated thereby, a rock-shaft journaled in said bracket-arm and arranged paralled to said needle-bar shaft, a

second rock-shaft journaled in said bracket-arm, said rock-shafts being arranged on opposite sides of said needle-bar shaft and disposed substantially 180 apart, take-up levers carried by said rock-shafts and cranks carried by said needlebar shaft and operatively connected to said rockshafts for actuating said rock-shafts about their longitudinal axes.

6. A sewing machine having in combination, a bracket-arm terminating in a hollow head, a needle-bar shaft journaled in said bracket-arm,

a plurality of rock-shafts journaled in said holried by said rock-shafts, actuating levers fixed to said rock-shafts, and pitmans connecting the cranks on said needle-bar shaft with said actuating levers.

8. A sewing machine having in combination, an overhanging bracket-arm terminating in a hollow head, a wall in said bracket-arm, a plurality of rock-shafts carried by said wall, a thread take-up lever'carried on one end of each of said rock-shafts and mechanism within the bracketarm for oscillating said rock-shafts about their longitudinal axes.

9. A sewing machine having in combination, an overhanging bracket-arm terminating in a hollow head, a wall .in said bracket-arm, a pair of rock-shafts journaled in said wall, a thread takeup lever carried on one end of each of said rockshafts, said take-up levers being oppositely directed, and mechanism within the bracket-arm for oscillating said rock-shafts about their longitudinal axes in such a manner as to cause one of said take-up levers to move upwardly and the other of said take-up levers to move downwardly.

10. A sewing machine having in combination, an overhanging bracket-arm terminating in a hollow head, a shaft journaled in said bracket arm, an eccentric element carried by said shaft, a rock-shaft journaled in said bracket-arm, mechanism operatively connecting said eccentric element with said rock-shaft, all of said mechanism being located within said bracket-arm and a take-up element actuated by said rock-shaft.

11. A sewing machine having .in combination, an overhanging bracket-arm terminatingln a hollow head, a needle-bar actuating'shaft jour- 12. A sewing-machine. having in combination,-

an overhanging bracket-arm terminating in a hollow head, a needle-bar actuating shaftjournaled in spaced bearings carried by said bracketarm, an eccentric element carried by said shaft and located between said bearings, a rock-shaft journaled in said bracket-arm, mechanism operatively connecting said rock-shaftand said eccentric element, said mechanism being located within saidbracket-arm, and a thread take-up element actuated by said rock-shaft.

13. A sewing machine having in combination,

an overhanging bracket-arm carrying a hollow head, a wall in said bracket-arm, a take-up actuating shaft journaled in and extending through said wall, thread take-up means carried by said shaft and located atone side of said wall, and mechanism within said bracket-arm and located at the other side of said wall for actuating said shaft.

14. A sewing machine having in'combination, I

an overhanging bracket-arm carrying a hollow head, 'a wall in said bracket-arm, a shaft journaled in and extending through said wall, a thread take-up lever carried on one vend of said shaft and mechanism within the bracket-arm and operatively connected with the other end of said shaft for oscillating said shaft about its longitudinal axis.

15. A sewing machine having in combination a hollow bracket-arm carrying a hollow-head, a rotary needle-reciprocating shaft journaled in said bracket-arm, take-up actuating shafts journaled in said bracket-arm and disposed at opposite sides of and substantially parallel to said needle-reciprocating shaft, a take-up element carried by each of said take-upactuating shafts and mechanism within said bracket-arm for operatively connecting said needle-reciprocating shaft and said take-up actuating shafts. e

16. A sewing machine having in combination a hollow bracket-arm provided with a bearing wall, a needle-bar shaft journaled in said wall, take-up actuating shafts disposed at opposite sides of and parallel to said needle-bar shaft, a take-up element carried by each of said takeup shafts at one side ,of said wall and mechanism operatively connecting said needle-bar shaft and said take-up shafts, said mechanism being disposed on the-other'slde of said wall and within said bracket-arm.

GnoRGE A. FLECKENSTEIN. MAX L. WATERMAN. 

